School bus transport sector: A safety failure

BY STEVEN KASZAB

There is a petition started by a former bus driver named Gary demanding that the Education and Transportation Ministry take the safety of school children and those on our roads seriously.

The US and Canada have taken steps to make the safety of students a pivotal policy within their ministries, but so far it seems to all be illusion and talking points. We all know how slowly the government works, particularly if they have realized their past errors and may have to fall upon their swords in any future blame game. What should the Ministers do?

• Retrofit all preexisting school buses with safety tools especially seat belts. All new buses should be legislated to have seat belt attachments.
• Bus seats need to be securely attached to the base of buses, so in case a collision happens the seat will not detach and become flying projectiles.
• Allot contracts only to private firms that fulfill all the ministries requirements.
• Fully insure the occupants of these buses for possible injury, psychological distress, and trauma.
• All liability for possible mishaps, collisions, accidents must fall upon drivers and their employers whom all should be bonded and fully insured.
• A full three-point seat belt application for each passenger is needed.

Ever see a bus that has been in a collision? A school bus is built to transport people. It is made of light sheet metal, no roll bars, not significantly superior bumpers. A vehicle made to use as little gas as possible. The firms that provide most of the school boards bus needs are in business to make a profit.  Simple. This profiteering and the effects of unforeseen circumstances like the pandemic, professional staffing of these firms is impossible, and these firms hire their employee’s part time, at low wages with no benefits. Would you wish to drive such a vehicle with the added responsibility of managing a bunch of students in all sorts of weather? The challenge has always been to find responsible drivers to do the job. Most bus drivers do so part time, and many are senior citizens too. The stress of carrying out this job is often unbearable, and so finding drivers becomes more and more difficult.

The expenditures the public will have to endure to make these buses safer, more sturdily built fall way out of the budgets given by elected officials. Putting seat belts into pre-existing vehicles would cost $7,000 – $10,000 per vehicle. The only way this can be done is if legislation is drawn up to demand it be done. Firms that wish to bid on school bus transport contracts will have to put their costs into their bid, and the public will have to swallow that cost. Building school buses that are superiorly safe will cost a pretty penny too.

What are you willing to pay to keep your school children safe? What costs can you justify denying?